Morris tribune., 1887-01-05
WEAKNESSES sOFGREATMEN
Peculiar yanities and fgnsrkabIe Bits Of Ego
. - tism. ..-

New York Herald.-Nothing is more
interesting than the weakness OF the
strong. Men gaze with awe and ad-
n,fration at persunssH,hCfars reared
themselves above the surrounding
level; but the gazers are always pleas
ed by the Indications of a common
humanity. 1t is proba' ly true that
great men are esteemed for their faults
quite as much as for their virtues
Alcbiades attracts more affection
than Draeo: Washington is revered
as is no other American, but other
Americans have been more loved.
The reason is plain. 1t is instantly
suggested in the excuse given by the
Athenian for his prejudice against
Aristides. He was tired OF hearing
him called "The Just" Others were
tired, too, and hence the famous os-
tracism.
The Scotch phrase about the "unco
guide" finds justification in all the
ages. In narrow acceptatlon it in
culcates the wisdom of pleasing man
kind by conformity with the average
level. The majority hate to hear OF O.
man being much better than his fel-
lows. He who is his own worst ene-
my, as the facile saying puts it, has
likewise usually plenty of friends.
But all this is aside from our present
purpose.
The special form of weakness with
| ceit, Or, as Mr.. Justin Morrill,, the
author, calls it, t,self-consciousness. 1t is
plain, of course, that there are diverse
forms of weakness, and as clear that
self-consciousness is betrayed in
numerous manifestations. There
is the weakness that we call
amiable and the weakness that we
find odious. Men may be popular
not only in spite OF, but, as we have
seen, because of, the first; they are in
variably made unpopular by the last.
With this TACT in view, Mr.. Morrill, S
queer book may at first evoke in most
readers kind of despair. They will
naturally say that if the greatest of
the earth can not avoid the expression
of seif-love, how is it to be with COM
mon mortals?
The case is, however, not so desper-
ate as it seems; for, apart from tine
discrimination to be Justly noted as
between the mental and moral guam
titles, and the circumstance, illustrat-
ed in everyday life that a man may be
distinguished and modest or obscure
and arrogant, the patent facts of his
tories rise like monuments to remind
and reassure us. II there have been
Napoleons there have been Grants.
But let us put together some OF the
most remarkable bits of egotism re
corded in Mr.. Morril's pages of some
of the most remarkable persons. To
this end we have selected thefollowing
group:
Napoleon the Great-One OF Napo-
Icons marshals handed to the emper-
or a book from an upper shelf with
the remark: Il am higher than you,
sire" Longer, not higher, respond
ed Napoleon. .3.
"In my council he said another
time, there were men possessed Of
much more eloquence than was, but
| always defeated them by this simple
argument-two and two make four. J"
"Atter all, what have l done?" be
asked. On a third occasion: rs it
anything compared with what Christ
has done?" 'They call me lucky"
Metternich reports him to have often
said because am able; it is weak
men who accuse the strong of good
fortune"
When his sisters sought honors as
due to their relationship Napoleon
curtly said to them, Gone would
think from your pretensions, ladies,
that we had inherited the crown from
our father"
Napoleon the Little-Louis Napole-
on fancied himself great General. He
was with great difficulty dissuaded
from taking the command OF the
French army in the Crimean war. At
Plombieres he said to Count Cavour:
DO you know there are but three
men in all Europe? One is myself,
the second is you, and the third is one
whose name Bismarck, no doubt, l
will not mention"
Daniel Webster-The great expound-
er of the American Constitution,
was, in general, too we'll poised to
show vanity, whatever he might feel
He, however, wrote early to his father,
saying: II feel a prompting within
me that tells me there is something
better for me than to Be Clerk of
Court. My mind is made up"
On another occasion, being in Court,
he was reminded that he was assailing
a dictum fLord Camden $. He turn
ed to the Judge and owned it, but
added: But, may it please your Hon
or, differ from Lord Camden"
Thomas Jefferson calmly observed
(of persons interested in the study of
legislation and the like)-'They will
find that the leading and most impor-
tant laws of that day were prepared
by myself and carried chiefly by my
efforts; supported, indeed, by able and
faithful coadiutors, very eff
fective as seconds. but who would not
have taken the field as leaders"
Lord Byron-According to Leigh
Hunt the poet angrily returned box
of pills to an apothecary because the
packet was directed to Mr.. Byron in
stead of Lord Byron. He said: Il
awoke one morning and found myself
famous" II am like the tiger" he
declared; ''if l miss the first spring
go grumbling back to my jungle again;
but if do it, it is crushing" On an
other occasion he wrote to Moore
(1S17), and, after saying that he did
not think literature his vocation,
added: But you will see that I will
do something or other-the times and
fortune permitting-that. like the
cosmogony or creation of the world,
will puzzle the philosophers. of all
ages" 1t is believed that he thought
to achieve military success and to be-
come King OF Greece.
Margaret Fuller-This remarka-
BILE woman is reported to have said
(when quite young. happily: 81 have
now met all the intellects of fthis coun-
try, and find none comparable to my
own" 1t should be a consolation
that an Englishwoman, Frances Anna
Kemble, has said things almost as
vain.
Nath .;,ial lHawthorne-ThiS eminent